The first instance was while talking to my friend Lisa, another Phit and HOT Momma I know. We were discussing our kids and what they will and won’t eat these days. My Logan has always been a good eater and I enjoy making him healthy meals and watching him eat with enjoyment. Recently, he turned down scrambled eggs with cheese and a side of peanut butter raisin toast because he wanted “egg whites and jelly toast.” I thought, “Why would anyone turn down these delicious eggs cooked on the stove for some microwaved egg whites and diet bread?” Well, the day before he sat in my lap and “shared” my breakfast…egg whites and SF/FF jelly WW toast.
The next words that came out of his mouth were, “I need my protein, Mommy.” Geez! I must be talking about my protein needs a little too much! A four year does need his protein, so now my son is eating a bodybuilders breakfast. I do sneak in a full egg with his egg whites and I had to eat peanut butter on my toast a few days to get him to understand that peanut butter is a “healthy fat” that we should all enjoy.
The next occurrance of Lead by Example came in a post from one of my clients on our privat Phit-N-Phat Message Board. She wrote:
“I have never posted anything before so I am hoping for the best :). This is my first week and I am very excited to get started. I am looking forward to eating better and exercising better both for me and my family. Through my lifestyle change, I am hoping to teach my children that there are better things in life than chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese - I am going to lead by example. I am glad to be starting this journey with other women who have similar outlooks. “
Isn’t this powerful? She is making a committment to change her life so that she can change her children’s lives. That is exactly why I started my journey and why I do this. Women like this who have the courage to stand up, get moving, eat better, and make good choices for their families should be supported and commended.
This lifestyle isn’t easy and it is certainly not popular with kids who want the junk food and husbands who are naturally thin. How many of you have heard, “I’m not the fat one. Why should I eat this crap?” I’ll tell you why! You have to Lead by Example!
We learn more and more everyday about how the foods WE choose to eat and the foods WE choose to give our children either negatively or positively impact them for the rest of their lives. It’s not enough anymore for Mommy to eat her Lean Cuisines, salads, and apples while starving to try and lose a few pounds. It’s more than that! It’s about changing your family tree - your FUTURE family tree. It’s about ensuring not only that you’ll be around for your grandkids but that your kids will be in good enough health to have said grandkids.
My point to both of these stories is that you never know when little eyes are watching your actions and establishing a lifetime pattern of behavior from your example. Yes, my kid is four and he knows about protein. He also knows that dessert is fruit, snacks are raisins and air popped popcorn, we enjoy water, and that apple dippers (without the dip) are way better than french fries anyday.
Your children are watching and they want to do what you do. What type of example are you going to set?